Elder Su hurriedly looked around.
Mo Hua said, "Rest assured, Elder. There's no one around, and Shuisheng isn't here either..."
Only then did Elder Su breathe a sigh of relief. He looked at Mo Hua, wanting to speak but stopping himself. No matter how he thought about it, he could not understand how Mo Hua had learned about Shuixian.
Mo Hua did not mention Qing Lan, merely saying vaguely,
"I happened to overhear it at Hundred Flowers Pavilion."
Elder Su froze for a moment, then nodded helplessly. Afterward, he grew somewhat lost in thought.
The name Shuixian seemed to have pierced Elder Su's heart. The easygoing expression he had worn before vanished, and he sat there dazed, as though immersed in old memories, overwhelmed by emotion and unable to pull himself free.
"Elder Su?"
Mo Hua called to him.
Elder Su did not respond.
"Elder Su!"
Mo Hua raised his voice a little. Only then did Elder Su come back to himself, an apologetic look appearing on his face. "Sorry. I remembered some old matters and got lost in thought."
Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then carefully asked,
"Could you tell me about those old matters?"
Elder Su looked at Mo Hua in puzzlement. "You... why do you want to hear that?"
Mo Hua said, "I'm curious."
Elder Su immediately shook his head.
How could he tell a child about his romantic history—especially such a painful, unbearable history...
Mo Hua said, "I have a use for it."
"What use?"
"I can't say yet."
Elder Su brushed it off as well. "They're all stale old stories. It wouldn't be convenient for me to speak of them."
Mo Hua thought for a moment and said,
"How about this? Tell me, and I'll owe you a favor."
Elder Su laughed. "What use